Jefferson County

Sale typeWhat you actually buy. A lien sale gives you a claim on the property and the owner keeps it for now; a deed sale transfers the property itself. A redeemable deed transfers ownership but still gives the former owner time to pay you back. See the full glossary for more terms.

hybrid

Ala. Code 40-10-180

Interest / penaltyWhat you earn when the owner redeems. Interest is a rate paid over time; a penalty is usually a one-time percentage of the tax or redemption amount. A rate that is bid down during the auction is still interest. See the full glossary for more terms.

tax-lien auction: bid-down interest rate capped at 12%/yr; sale of land: 8%/yr redemption interest

Ala. Code 40-10-184; Ala. Code 40-10-122

RedemptionHow long the former owner has to repay the debt and keep the property after the sale. Your money stays tied up until this window closes, so a long period can mean a multi-year wait on a lien. See the full glossary for more terms.

3 years

Ala. Code 40-10-120

Bid methodHow the winner is chosen: bidding the interest rate down, bidding a premium above the amount owed, a random or rotating draw, or simply buying at the minimum bid. See the full glossary for more terms.

lowest interest rate bid (beginning bid not to exceed 12%)

Ala. Code 40-10-184

Sale timingWhen sales are typically held. Many counties publish sale lists only a few weeks ahead, and some sell continuously or on their own schedule. See the full glossary for more terms.

March 1 - June 15

Ala. Code 40-10-181(3)

Auction platforms

No platform listing found yet.

Parcels in this county

No parcels listed yet.

1. 1.Confirm the remedy the county's tax collecting official chose for the year (sale of a tax lien or sale of property); it applies to all real property in the county for that year (40-10-180(b), (c))
2. 2.Find the tax lien auction list, which must be prepared and maintained at least 30 days before the auction (40-10-183)
3. 3.Holders of existing tax lien certificates may exercise a first right to purchase the lien on a subsequent delinquency between five and 30 days prior to the auction date (40-10-191(a))
4. 4.Bid at the public auction for the sale and transfer of delinquent tax liens; the lien is sold to the person who pays all taxes, interest, penalties, and fees due, a $45 administrative fee, and bids the lowest interest rate on the redemption amount, starting at no more than 12 percent (40-10-182(b)(1), 40-10-184(b))
5. 5.Pay the purchase price: not later than one hour before close of business on the auction date, or, for an online auction, by close of business two days after the auction (40-10-186(b))
6. 6.Receive a tax lien certificate from the tax collecting official upon receipt of the purchase price (40-10-187(a))
7. 7.If the lien is not redeemed, foreclose the right to redeem and quiet title in circuit court not less than four and not more than ten years after the auction; the certificate expires if no action is brought within ten years (40-10-197(a), (j))

RegistrationSigning up as a bidder before the sale. Counties set the deadlines and paperwork, which may include an application, identification, and a no-delinquent-taxes statement. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

DepositMoney you must post before or at the sale, often a flat amount or a percentage of your bid. It is usually applied to the purchase price if you win and is often non-refundable if you fail to pay. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

FormsPaperwork a county may collect before you can bid, such as a bidder ID card or a W-9 for tax reporting. See the full glossary for more terms.

Bidder ID card: UnknownW-9: Unknown

Payment acceptable to the tax collecting official (40-10-186(b): form of payment is that 'acceptable to the tax collecting official')

EligibilityRules about who may bid. Some counties restrict non-residents or bar anyone who owes delinquent taxes from participating. See the full glossary for more terms.

Residency required: Unknown

Alabama's modern delinquency remedy (Article 7, Code of Alabama 1975, Chapter 10) is the sale of tax liens at a public auction run by the county tax collecting official, either online or in person at that official's discretion, with existing certificate holders holding first rights for subsequent-year liens. The winning bidder pays the full amount bid (taxes, interest, penalties, fees and costs, plus a $45 administrative fee) rather than a separate deposit, and receives a tax lien certificate bearing the interest rate bid; the amount to redeem is paid back by the owner with that interest. Bidder registration requirements, acceptable payment forms, and deposit rules are not set out in the statute and vary by tax collecting official. Property-sale (tax deed) counties may follow Article 1's judicial sale instead, whose bidder steps differ.